These are the adventures of our heroine Anna as she leaves her majestic homeland of Montana and crosses the United States. Her mission: To make music that rocks. Her motto: GO BIG OR GO HOME!
As I look back on the past year, a few things that I expected to accomplish have yet to happen. A few things that I didn't expect to achieve have come to pass. The events of this year were all necessary in order for me to get where I'm going.
This year was about getting my head on straight. Alone. Getting into the grit of Anna, scooping out a handful, slinging it against a wall, and observing what the splatter looked like. Nashville was the wall. At first, everything just looked like a mess. "It's just splatter!" , I cried in despair... "There's no picture here! How could I possibly make a work of art out of this? I'd be lucky to make a decent finger-painting out of it..."
So, I sat down on the floor and stared at the wall. For about Six months. Then I began to notice a silhouette forming. I thought I saw a guitar in there somewhere...
After a while, the windows broke out, but it was for the better - because I could hear little birds outside. Most of the time, they were just making racket, but every once in a while, I would hear a melody. I saved the melodies for later.
Soon, the birds ventured into the room and perched next to me. Soon, I had friends coming and going, and music was happening again. I had saved all of the melodies and thoughts I had shared with the birds, and now it was time to use them. I asked the birds to look for colors outside, but they wouldn't look for me. They just flew back and forth outside the window, making racket again. Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I climbed out of the broken window, and outside I found such a wondrous place!
I found all kinds of colors to use on the wall...red in the dirt from the ground, green in the lush surroundings, blue and black in the berries that bordered the yard...even better than the colors though, were the sounds! There were all kinds of strange animals roaming about, and they each seemed to have their own voice. It was a beautiful thing. There were other people too! I talked with a few of them, and we pondered the workings of life together. I listened to their stories and shared my own.
After a bit, I grew tired of all the excitement, and my thoughts as well as my feet wandered back towards the painting. I took all that I had gathered and climbed back into my room through the window. I sat with everything around me, glad that I had stopped, let time pass, and allowed the universe to work.
Slowly, I began to add color and texture to the painting on the wall...it began to come alive! I found chord shapes splattered on the wall...did I invent them? Or were they there all along? It didn't matter - I could see them now. I could see the shape of a guitar...I painted it brown and spruce to look like mine. I made one big blob into the shape of a keyboard, and a long line turned itself into a microphone stand.
I had made from the grit of myself, a portrait. It was colored with all of the things I had come across outside, but underneath it all was that brown splatter I had started with long before. Without it, the colors wouldn't stick, and the whole thing wold melt off of the wall.
I sat back, amazed at the progress I had made. The portrait wasn't finished yet, but I could see that it was well on its way to being complete.
Isn't it crazy what can happen in one year?
You can't make a decent painting without learning about color. You can't write a good novel without learning sentence structure, developing your vocabulary, and writing a few short stories first. I couldn't make great music without re-aligning myself to be a student of music and the human experience, and gaining a bit of discipline. I am learning how to learn, learning how to fail, and learning how to smile all the while. I have grown so much in the past year, and have gained character, experience, and gratitude above all. I am standing with one foot on the life I used to live, and one foot on the life I will be living soon. Can't wait to see what happens this year...
So, I've been reading a couple of self-help books lately. GO AHEAD. Laugh it up. But isn't that the point of life? To improve ourselves so that we may better serve the collective harmony of the universe? Or something like that...we can talk about it on the other side.
I read a lot. I like anything from cookbooks to poetry books, books on philosophy, graphic novels, mysteries, and Twilight (yes, the series really is entertaining - the movie pales in comparison). I was sick of feeling tired and lazy, so I bought a book called "Skinny Bitch"(by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin) that has really helped me have a kickass healthy diet, and I feel GREAT! (Guys, you can read this one too...) A couple years ago, I bought a book called "Win the Crowd", written by Steve Cohen, "The Millionaire's Magician" that has given me some major help in entertaining and life in general, which goes snugly along with being a musician. And you know what else? I'm sick of being broke, so I checked out Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" from the library and am trying to learn about finance online at CNNmoney.com and some other sites. Last but not least, I checked out "Shut Up, Quit Whining, and Get a Life" by Larry Winget because I was sick of feeling sorry for myself in some aspects of my life.
You get the point. Information is abundant and accessible, especially with the existance of the internet. I recommend each of these books, and read with a highlighter so that you can capture anything that resounds with your own life philosophies.
So why aren't people jumping at the chance to get everything they want!? To figure out everything they need to know to achieve success in all realms of existence? And what about the "Obesity" label that our country has!? How can we worship the thin but consist of the fat and lazy? It's because most people don't read. Did you know that many of the people who buy books don't even read them? Book sales are up, but literacy is down. It's cool to OWN books, but really, who has the time to, like, read them. Ugh. Seriously.
This is what other "civilized" countries have that we don't. Literacy. Sure, kids in America are savvy on an iPhone, but mention a book at a party and, OMG, that is like, so not cool! ugh. seriously. Literacy is the key to starting discussion, and THOUGHT PROCESS. Somewhere between 1900 and 2000, though, being academic got a new nickname - "nerdy". When did ignorance become a trait to be sought after? I remember the exact moment for me. It was in the sixth grade when the hot popular girls won the lip syncing contest by using nail filers as props while dancing to "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls. Suddenly pogs and chinese jumprope lost their appeal on the playground. Suddenly I was faced with this idea that being smart doesn't get you anywhere, but damn, if you're attractive you can bend the world to your will and WEILD IT AS THE QUEEN THAT YOU WERE BORN TO BEEEEEEEEE....!!!!!!!!!!!! Oops, I got carried away. But not really. I remember feeling so much disappointment from not being able to look like the 1% of the population that appears in fashion ads. Well, guess what. NOW I CAN FEEL JUST AS SEXY BY USING THE INFORMATION AT HAND. I'm not going to starve myself, but being healthy and having your shit together is so much better than having Skeletor's reflection!
Yes, I have news for you. Being "nerdy" = health, wealth, and happiness.
Most people want to make the world a better place. I do. I hope you do. Reading and following your passions is the best way to do that, as I have learned from personal experience. It's all about doing what you love, and using that to put out good vibes, good actions, and good establishments. I just felt the need to express my gratitude for rediscovering the joy and BENEFITS of reading, and to encourage everyone to read more. It's good for you, it makes you better at life, and it's fun. When you're two pages into an article about Tube vs. Solid State amplifiers, and you feel like you're unlocking some secret that nobody else knows about, your chances are excellent that you actually ARE unlocking some secret that nobody else knows about. Only 20% of adults read in the U.S. and with subjects aplenty, it's easy to become an expert.
So go get it, go get whatever you want. Become an expert. Find that niche and fill it like your life depends upon it! Your life does depend upon it! Go! Run to the library! Do it now!
Ladies and Gentlemen - I am pleased to announce that I have found a reality show that is worth watching! I know! It's crazy! But check out this show: It's called "30 Days", and features Morgan Spurlock, the creator of "Supersize Me," a documentary in which he ate only fast food for 30 days, recording the physical, mental, and emotional effects of the diet. This new show, "30 Days" is an extension of the idea, where Spurlock conducts various 30 day experiments. The first episode is called "Minimum Wage", where he and his fiance go to Columbus, Ohio with only $200 and show what it's like for many Americans today trying to scrape by. I related to this one personally after moving 2,000 miles from home to Nashville with no job or apartment waiting for me (although I was lucky enough to have a family friend to stay with until I found an apartment). The show's well put together, very informative, and Spurlock's attitude and commentary are both objective and focused toward a solution to the problem at hand. I think everyone should watch this show. A list of other topics covered in other episodes: Same Sex Parenting, 30 Days In A Wheelchair, Anti-Aging, Binge Drinking, Immigration, Jail, and Atheist/Christian, just to name a few. A bold move, FX network. I'm surprised it's on that channel, even.
They don't skimp on the nitty-gritty reality touch, either, detailing an ant infestation in the couple's cheap apartment, on-the-job shennanigans, ridiculous unavoidable hospital bills from work injuries, and so on. It's clever - educational and all that but still makes you cringe like we love to so much in realityLand.
I urge you - please partake in being a conscientious television viewer and watch at least one episode. You'll learn something, gain some empathy, and it might even inspire you to change your own life in a small way for the better.
P.S. - Did anyone see Conan's first day hosting the Tonight Show? I love the opening sketch...watch it here.
OK that's it from me for today, and it's actually tomorrow. First day on the new job comin' up - wish me luck!
I've also been practicing guitar a lot - learned the diminished 7th scale today - it's pretty awesome.
Hello, world...It's been too long...I am still alive and kicking. I have no excuse for my absence from the blog for the last few months, so let's just move on together, shall we?Great. Okay, so here I am, in Nashville. I've had a horrible job since I got here and have had my panties up in a bunch trying to find other work. The job has been got and I have been practicing guitar a lot in the meantime since I've been stuck at home pinching pennies! So I've gotten a lot better at guitar and have gained a new sense of focus in practicing. I also joined the YMCA a couple weeks ago, so I expect to be hot and swimsuit ready in three months or less. HELL YEZH! I'm going BIG, not home. I miss Montana so much, but I'm glad I came to Nashville. I want to be heavily gigging in 6 months. That's my goal. So here we go, the next project. I'm thinking about what to write about. I've moved 2,000 miles, had my love muscle broken into a million little pieces, and been at the end of my resources - all in the last few months. I'm ready to empathize with you, my audience. SO what do you want to hear about? I love Marvin Gaye's song, "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" I was turned onto it because John Mayer covered it on "TRY! John Mayer Trio Live" - But you should listen to Marvin's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDckI2P_DPA It sums up so many of the emotions I've been feeling lately...having trouble saving anything for the future...people going off to war. The man knew what was up. How could I top that? You know it really HAS all been said before, but that's no reason to stop creating and expressing. I know that a great song comes from putting it through your own filter...showing how you see it. So I'm going to try in the coming months to show my filter to everybody. I'll try to be honest in doing so - that's the best policy. So stay tuned and see what happens. I've also got a new song up on myspace called "All The Miles" that I did with Sara Horvath from Missoula. I wrote most of it - she helped in a couple places and we got a friend to do a really great simple recording of it. I'll let you figure out what that one's about. Check it out : www.myspace.com/annamcgary . I promise less sappy tunes will follow - haha. Ok, well, I'll fill you in more later. Nightie Poo - Don't poo in your nightie>>>>>>>>>>
Go to his site. Buy an album. This guy is unbelievable. He stopped in Nashville on his way to a convention, and my friend Sarah and I were lucky enough to catch him when we popped in for New Faces Night at The Basement.
I have seen many people play. This is the only person I have ever seen that really blew me away, using just their voice and a guitar. When he first took the stage, my thought was "Look at that little guitar - is that a kid's guitar? It doesn't look like he knows what he's doing." Boy was I wrong. Danny writes and performs with such cleverness and profoundness that the entire venue was silently enraptured for the duration of his performance. It may have been the best performance I've ever seen in my life, and since you can't compare this to The Rolling Stones (because it's a different presentation), I'm going to go ahead and say it was. Danny's songs liken to the American tradition of storytelling that I grew up with in Clarksville, Tennessee. He puts his own modern twist to the tradition of folk music, and lovers of any genre of music can find themselves relating to the words and melodies he pieces together. Truly fantastic, A++, five-star, two-thumbs up rating from me. I bought his latest album "Little Grey Sheep" I will definately keep track of this artist. He'll be huge soon, and if he isn't, shame on the world.
This morning I awoke and shuffled bleary-eyed into Uncle Jack's kitchen to find a lone egg staring back at me from the fridge like a vein-less eyeball with no pupil. Little did I know what that single egg's effect on my day would be...
With only one egg to cook, I resolved to make the pilgrimage to Kroger. A trip for eggs turned into a trip for pancake mix and sausage, and after adding 2 impulse buys to my escapade, the third was simply an afterthought. I tossed the Sunday Paper, The Tennessean, into my black basket and headed to the checkout, where I discovered that in Tennessee, on a Sunday, one cannot purchase a 40 of Olde English before noon, even if its consumption is intended for afternoon or evening thereafter. So much for my President's Day party. I drove up the secluded driveway and toted the goods inside. The sausage was surprisingly flavorless, but the pancakes made up for it. Hungry Jack mmmmm! I was so full after pancakes and pork that I only ate one egg. I laughed out loud at that, since I had originally gone to Kroger with the intention of eating more than one for breakfast.
After filling myself, I grabbed the Tennessean and headed up to the loft to read the paper with music. I found a Robert Plant special that had been taped from Palladia and settled in. Most of the news centered around Obama's bailout plan, and those who are either for or against it firing off about it. The title of the story that would, however, involve the latter part of my day read, "Jazz Fans Fight to Save MTSU Radio Station." Now, jazz music is not my primary genre, but I fully understand and appreciate its influence on the world of music. Many, if not all, of my favorite artists were influenced by jazz, from Mike Einziger of Incubus and John Mayer to Queen, Led Zeppelin, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even Jay-Z. Any artist who uses improvisation or syncopation, or a blue note has influence from jazz. It's a mish-mash of African and European Music. It came from America, and I felt a sudden call to duty to help defend the core of Nashville's jazz scene in a town where it has just recently had success in re-blooming alongside Broadway's honkeytonks and country bars. And what else was I going to do on a Sunday?
So it was off to Limelight, the club hosting the benefit show for 89.5 FM, aka WMOT. Wow. This was a great show! An amazing show! It started at 3:00 and Jack and I stood at the bar until about 6:00. I met a few people from Nashville, one woman who works as a Music Therapist, and another couple that was on vacation from Virginia. There were so many great performers, and each of the bands were tightly rehearsed. The two performers that impressed me the most were Rod McGaha on Trumpet and Victor Wooten on Bass. I hope Mr. McGaha is some distant relative of mine, because I want to unleash what he's got. Such a dynamic player. Wow. And he made some really crazy sound effects with his horn every now and then that kept me interested. And Victor Wooten, oh, Victor Wooten. Where to begin. I have been meaning to see the Wooten Brothers at 3rd and Lindsley where they play every Wednesday Night, but haven't made it down yet. I have already reserved a five dollar bill to see what kind of ruckus this man might produce with his kin on Wednesday. What I saw today was hands down the best bass playing I've ever seen in my life. He played solo for about seven minutes before joining the band, and I was truly amazed at some of the sounds that he made. He seamlessly blended purcussive playing techniques with melodic progressions that I didn't even know existed. It was a lucky day for me today. I hope the fifteen dollars I donated makes a difference, because if this radio station means so much to musicians with this much talent and rapport with the community, then it deserves a Lincoln and a Hamilton from my wallet. We'll just have to wait and see what the fate of WMOT shall be.
So that's the beauty of what can begin with something as simple as an egg. I'll have to be careful in this town...there's so much great music to see that I may forget to make my own!
My Dream Band just needs a drummer after this guitar player! Wow she is amazing. How have I not heard of her before? She did 2 world tours with Jeff Beck and 3 with Michael Jackson. Jeff Beck gets all the awesome chick musicians - does he have a drummer too? I'll get back to you on that. But someday, I'll have an awesome all chick band that rocks your socks off! There has yet to be a BAND to harness the energy of a pack of women and put it to rock music. It just hasn't been done yet. Or maybe it HAS been done and I just don't know about it. Let me know if it has been done. If all of my best girl friends played instruments, you'd better believe we'd be in a band, and it would be crazy. But they don't so I'll just have to find other girls that play and make them my new friends. In the meantime, feast your eyes and ears on this:
I'm one of those people who's stubborn enough that they might actually succeed. If you look at the number of people who actually make it in the music business, the chances are slim. But then again, I'm not most people.
